


Just Another Hogwarts Teacher

by Whovian101



Series: A Time Lord at Hogwarts [2]
Category: Doctor Who, Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-05
Updated: 2018-04-27
Packaged: 2019-04-18 16:09:00
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 13
Words: 11,788
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14216829
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Whovian101/pseuds/Whovian101
Summary: The Doctor Becomes a Hogwarts Teacher, and finds himself teaching the golden Trio; Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger, but they've seen him before.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> It is strongly recommended that you read The De-Aged Doctor, the original tale, before reading this sequel. Nothing will make sense.

_Harry Potter stepped into his first Defence Against the Dark Arts class of the year. The school just didn’t seem the same without the Doctor. But no one except Hermione, Ron, and himself seemed to remember the mysterious John Smith. He sat down with Ron and Hermione in their seats, no teacher in sight, until footsteps behind them began to get louder. A man walked in. He was about 6’ 1, with deep brown hair that stuck up into the air. His eyes were brown as well. He wore a large brown overcoat that ended just above the ankle. Underneath, his suit was a brown pinstripe and he wore a maroon tie, and on his feet, a pair of converse sneakers. “Good morning, class.” He said, swiveling on his heel at the front of the room to face the class, “I’m Professor John Smith.”_


	2. Back to Hogwarts

The Doctor and Jack had only been on the TARDIS for ten minutes before the Doctor had decided to come teach. He wanted to come back to Hogwarts desperately, afraid if he went back to the muggle world, he would have to face the master, and he would die. Again. Lose everything he was. The Centaur’s prophecy rung in his head, “ _The Lord of Time has traveled far and alone, but alone he is not. He is not alone. The days shorten, and the moment dreaded shall arrive with time. He who is feared shall return. Many dangers await the path of the illegid hero. Do not forget who you are, as the man who forgets is drenched with the blood of his foes. Do not lose the love in your heart._ ” Every time he replayed it in his head, it seemed to get worse and worse. He didn’t tell Jack, as he didn’t want to worry him, so he decided to go back to the one place he had felt safe. Hogwarts. He knew he couldn’t be a student again, because now he looked like an adult again, but that wouldn’t stop him from becoming a teacher. It was easy to convince the headmaster, Albus Dumbledore to employ him, as there was an open spot for teaching, as Professor Lupin had resigned last year, and in qualifications, he was clearly the one with more, as wizards couldn’t see through psychic paper, so when the year began, he found himself riding the Hogwarts Express with the other teachers. Not all the teachers chose to ride on the Hogwarts Express, but a few familiar faces were there. Jack had been harder to find an open spot for, so the Doctor convinced him to be Professor Hagrid’s assistant. Jack didn’t mind, and with Professor Hagrid teaching Care of Magical Creatures, it was good to have someone there who couldn’t die in case something went wrong. He made sure no one remembered him from last year except Harry, Ron, Hermione. This time, the TARDIS had been landed at Kings Cross Station, and Jack and the Doctor would return to it after the year ended. When Jack and the Doctor boarded the Hogwarts Express with the other teachers, they noticed there was a cold silence that flew through the compartments. The Doctor sat down next to Professor Flitwick, realizing he should get on first name terms with the staff, “Hello.” The Doctor smiled at the charms teacher,

“Ah, Hello, you must be the new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher.” Professor Flitwick shook the Doctor and Jack’s hands,

“I’m Filius.” Professor Flitwick smiled kindly,

“I’m Dr. John Smith, but you can call me the Doctor.” The Doctor gave a smile,

“Captain Jack Harkness.” Jack gave a cheeky grin to the Doctor who elbowed him,

Filius was an emotional man, who seemed to have a gentle spirit. The Doctor was surprised he hadn’t noticed this when he was a student, but in honesty, he did have other things on his mind at the time. Filius was a very clever man, he was sorted into Ravenclaw when he went to Hogwarts, though the hat did hesitate on Gryffindor. After graduating, he had gained the title of “Duelling Champion.” The Doctor was impressed with his many accomplishments, and he seemed fascinated by the Doctor’s. The Doctor did learn some new information about the school year though. This year would be different from the other years. This year there would be no quidditch, instead there was going to be a Triwizard Tournament, and the Doctor, as Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher, would play a large role.

When the Hogwarts Express finally slowed into Hogsmeade Station, it was nearly pitch black. There was a rumble of thunder overhead and there was a fierce downpour of rain. The teachers took a carriage, to the castle, while Jack and Professor Hagrid took the boats. The Doctor had only ever taken the boats, so when he arrived at the carriages, he was quite surprised to see these beautiful creatures pulling the carriages. They somewhat had the structure of a horse, but they seemed slightly to have some homoreptailia in them too. They were fleshless with black coats clinging to their skeletons, of which every bone was visible. Their heads were somewhat dragonish, and their pupil-less eyes white. Wings sprouted from each wither and were vast and black leathery that looked as though they belonged to giant bats. The Doctor approached one, placing one hand on his snout, and stroking him. “Who’d you lose?” Filius was standing behind him, and the Doctor realized what they were. They  were called Thestrals and had been in his _Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them_ by Newt Scamander. He remembered from reading it that you could only see a Thestral if you had seen someone die. The Doctor turned to Filius,

“A lot of people. Who did you lose?” Filius gave a sad smile,

“I was in the First Wizarding War, I saw a lot of people die too.” The Doctor nodded,

“I’m sorry.” Filius smiled,

“It’s not your fault. Were you in the war too?”

“Not that one, but a war, yes.” There was a cold silence, when all that could be heard was the pounding rain around them, and the faint comotion of students in the distance. Filius pulled the Doctor into the carriage, and it started to move.

“Was it a big war?” Filius broke the silence,

“It was the biggest war of all time.” There was a pause,

“Did you ever kill anyone?” Filius’ question left a chill in the air,

“How long have you been working at Hogwarts?” The change of subject was answer enough.

The Great Hall looked its usual splendid self, decorated for the start-of-term feast. Golden plates and goblets gleamed by the light of hundreds and hundreds of candles, floating over the tables in midair. The four long House tables were packed with chattering students; at the top of the Hall, the Doctor and the rest of the staff sat along one side of a fifth table, facing the pupils. The Doctor watched Harry, Ron, and Hermione pass the Slytherin, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff tables to place themselves at the Gryffindor table next to Nearly Headless Nick, the Gryffindor house ghost.

Before they knew it, a long line of first-years emerged into the Hall. As they had to take the boats across the lake, they were cold and shivering. The Doctor, who happened to sit next to Jack, noticed a similar demeanor with him. One boy was wearing Professor Hagrid’s moleskin overcoat and mouthed to whom the Doctor assumed was his brother, _I fell in the lake!_ And seemed positively delighted. Professor McGonagall then placed a three-legged stool on the ground before the first years and, on top of it, the all too familiar Sorting Hat. Everyone stared at the hat before the ling tear near the brim opened wide and the hat broke into song:

_“A thousand years or more ago,_

_When I was newly sewn,_

_There lived four wizards of renown,_

_Whose names are still well known:_

_Bold Gryffindor, from wild moor,_

_Fair Ravenclaw, from glen,_

_Sweet Hufflepuff, from valley broad,_

_Shrewd Slytherin, from fen._

_They shared a wish, a hope, a dream,_

_They hatched a daring plan_

_To educate young sorcerers_

_Thus Hogwarts School began._

_Now each of these four founders_

_Formed their own house, for each_

_Did value different virtues_

_In the ones they had to teach._

_By Gryffindor, the bravest were_

_Prized far beyond the rest;_

_For Ravenclaw, the cleverest_

_Would always be the best;_

_For Hufflepuff, hard workers were_

_Most worthy of admission;_

_And power-hungry Slytherin_

_Loved those of great ambition._

_While still alive they did divide_

_Their favorites from the throng,_

_Yet how to pick the worthy ones_

_When they were dead and gone?_

_‘Twas Gryffindor who found the way,_

_He whipped me off his head_

_The founders put some brains in me_

_So I could choose instead!_

_Now slip me snug about your ears,_

_I’ve never yet been wrong,_

_I’ll have a look inside your mind_

_And tell where you belong!”_

The Great Hall rang with applause as the Sorting Hat finished. Professor McGonagall unraveled the parchment she was holding.

“When I call out your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool. When the hat announces your House, you will go and sit at the appropriate table.

“Ackerly, Stewart!” A tall, trembling boy walked forward and placed the hat on his head.

Once the sorting ended, Professor Dumbledore had gotten to his feet and was smiling around at the tudents, his arms opened wide in welcome. “I have only two words to say to you,” His voice echoed around the Hall, “ _Tuck in_.”

“Hear, hear!” Ron and Harry cried as the empty dishes filled before their eyes. The Doctor grinned at them, he found it as funny as many of the fellow Gryffindors around them who where now digging into their meal.

“So, you are the new Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor?” Professor Snape had turned to him, as he happened to be seated to the Doctor’s other side.

“Yes.”

“I’ll have you know that no teacher has lasted more than a year for a long time. I would advise you to watch your back.”

“I don’t intend to stay for more than a year.” The Doctor smiled kindly at the potions master, who sneered back at him.

Once the meal and desert had been demolished, and the last crumbs had faded odd the plates, leaving them sparkling clean, Professor Dumbledore got to his feet once again. The buzz of chatter ceased almost at once, so that only the howling wind and pounding rain could be heard. “So!” Professor Dumbledore said, “Now that we are all fed and watered, I must ask once more for your attention, while I give out a few notices.

“Mr. Filch, the caretaker, has asked me to tell you that the list of objects forbidden inside the castle has this year been extended to include Screaming Yo-yos, Fanged Frisbees, and Ever-Bashing Boomerangs. The full list comprises of some four hundred and thirty-seven items, I believe, and can be viewed in Mr. Filch’s office, if anybody would like to check it.” The Doctor grinned at Fred and George, clearly the Doxy Wings from last year had done them some good. The Headmaster continued, “As ever, I would like to remind you all that the forest on the grounds is out-of-bounds to students, as is the village of Hogsmeade to all of you below third year.

“It is also my painful duty to inform you that the Inter-House Quidditch Cup will not take place this year.” The whole school seemed to gasp. “This is due to an event that will be starting in October, and continuing throughout the school year, taking up much of the teachers’ time and energy– but I am sure you will all enjoy it immensely. I have great pleasure in announcing that this year at Hogwarts, we will be hosting the Triwizard Tournament.”

 


	3. The Triwizard Tournament

“I have great pleasure in announcing that this year at Hogwarts, we will be hosting the Triwizard Tournament.”

“You’re JOKING!” Fred said loudly, and nearly everyone laughed.

“I am not joking, Mr. Weasley.” Professor Dumbledore said, “Some of you will not know what this tournament involves, so I hope those who _do_ know will forgive me for giving a short explanation, and allow their attention to wander freely.

“The Triwizard Tournament was first established some seven hundred years ago as a friendly competition between the three largest European schools of wizardry: Hogwarts, Beauxbatons, and Durmstrang. A champion was selected to represent each school, and the three champions competed in three magical tasks. The schools took it in turns to host the tournament once every five years, and it was generally agreed to be a most excellent way of establishing ties between young witches and wizards of different nationalities– until, that is, the death toll mounted so high that the tournament was discontinued.” The Doctor winced, if there was anything he hated more than violence for personal gain, it was violence for entertainment. “There have been several attempts over the centuries to reinstate the tournament, none of which has been very successful. However, our own departments of International Magical Cooperation and Magical Games and Sports have decided the time is ripe for another attempt. We have worked hard over the summer to ensure this time, no champion will find himself or herself in mortal danger.

“The heads of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving with their short-listed containers in October, and the selection of the three champions will take place at Halloween. An impartial judge will decide which students are most worthy to compete for the Triwizard Cup, the glory of their school, and a thousand Galleons personal prize money.

“Eager though I know all of you will be to bring the Triwizard Cup to Hogwarts, the heads of the participating schools along with the Ministry of Magic, have agreed to impose an age restriction on contenders this year. Only students who are of age– that is to say, seventeen years or older– will be allowed to put forward their names for consideration. This is a measure we feel is necessary, given that the tournament tasks will still be difficult and dangerous, whatever precautions we take, and it is highly unlikely that students below sixth and seventh year will be able to cope with them. I will personally be ensuring that no underage student hoodwinks our impartial judge into making them Hogwarts champion.” The Doctor saw Professor Dumbledore’s twinkling eyes catch those of Fred and George. “I therefore beg you not to waste your time submitting yourself if you are under seventeen.

“The delegations from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving in October and remaining with us for the greater part of this year. I know that you will all extend every courtesy to our foreign guests while they are with us, and will give your whole-hearted support to the Hogwarts champion when he or she is selected.” There was a murmur of acknowledgement, than the tone of the room changed as Professor Dumbledore announced, “May I introduce our new Defence Against the Dark Arts teacher?” The Doctor gave a smile, “Professor Smith.” There was a polite applause, and the Doctor noticed Harry, Ron, and Hermione, gaping at him, mouths wide. Professor Dumbledore then said, “And I’d also like to introduce the new assistant to Professor Hagrid who will be helping with his Care of Magical Creatures class, Professor Harkness.” There was another polite applause, and Draco Malfoy was sneering from the Slytherin table. “Now!” Professor Dumbledore continued, “It is late, and I know how important it is to you all to be alert and rested as you enter your lessons tomorrow morning. Bedtime! Chop chop!” The students all stood, and Jack grinned at the Doctor,

“Clearly the twins have been busy. Did you hear Filch’s list?” The Doctor gave a grin, and he felt at home.

 

The Doctor was excited for his first lesson with Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Once everyone had gathered in, the Doctor jumped up from the desk where he was sitting on. “Good morning, Let’s get started.” He grinned at his class, who didn’t seem to excited to be there, as Professor Lupin had been a fantastic teacher last year, and they doubted he could top him. “No, let’s be honest.” The Doctor began, “Who here actually knows where magic came from?” There was a silence, even Hermione was left speechless, and the Doctor grinned, “Good then, I’ll explain it.” Hermione’s hand went flying into the air,

“Yes, Mrs. Granger?”

“Aren’t we supposed to be learning defensive spells?” She bit her lip, Harry and Ron were staring at the Doctor intently,

“There’s no point in knowing how to use magic if you don’t know where it came from.” Hermione nodded, knowing it made sense. “Right then, if there aren’t any other questions, I’ll begin.” A hand towards the back of the room rose,

“Yes, Mr. Longbottom?” Neville looked nervously at the Doctor,

“It’s energy, isn’t it?” The Doctor grinned broadly,

“Yes, it is! Ten points to Gryffindor!” Neville gave a small smile, that quickly turned into a proud grin when he thought the Doctor wasn’t looking.

 

At the end of class, the Doctor was approached by Harry, Ron, and Hermione. “Hello.” He smiled at them,

“You’re the Doctor, aren’t you?” Ron blurted out as Hermione gave him a whack on the arm. The Doctor grinned,

“It’s been a while.”

“How are you so old?” Harry’s voice was blunt and to the point, but not in any way angry.

“I’m over a thousand, I’d say I’m looking pretty good.” The Doctor gave a smile, and

“But why are you so much older then you were?” Ron asked,

“Oh, It’s a long story, but you have to get to class.” The Doctor sent the students out of the classroom.


	4. Beauxbatons and Durmstrang

“Doctor!” Harry came sprinting into the Doctor’s office that night, in a second, the Doctor was on his feet,

“Yes! What?” Harry was out of breath and clutching a letter,

“It’s Sirius! I think he’s coming back! We need to stop him from coming!” The Doctor nodded, grabbing the letter Harry was holding, it read:

 

_Harry–_

_I’m flying north immediately. This news about your scar is the latest in a series of strange rumors that have reached me here. If it hurts again, go straight to Dumbledore._

_I’ll be in touch soon. My best to Ron and Hermione and the Doctor if he’s still there. Keep your eyes open, Harry_

_Sirius_

“Can you send him a letter?” The Doctor asked, and Harry nodded.

“Hedwig will know how to find him.”

“Hedwig’s your owl?”

“Yes.” The Doctor grabbed a slip of paper and began scribbling a note.

 

_Dear Sirius,_

_I hope you’re well, how is Buckbeak? Give her my best wishes, But please refrain from returning. As your escape is in the recent past, it is still fresh in many people’s minds, and if you come back, you will surely be captured and sent back to Azkaban. If your assistance is needed, I will let you know, but for now, Harry is under my protection and nothing will happen to him while he is._

_Hope to keep in touch,_

_The Doctor_

 

“What’s the problem with your scar?” The Doctor’s question surprised Harry,

“It’s nothing.”

“Well, clearly it’s something.”

“It just hurts when Voldemort is getting stronger.” The Doctor nodded, and pulled out his Sonic Screwdriver, scanning Harry’s forehead,

“Oh!”

“What? What is it?” Harry asked,

“Think of your head like a link, it’s full of psychic energy, and it’s hanging on to a thread of a soul.”

“Voldemort’s.” Harry concluded.

“Clearly not nothing.” The Doctor said, “If it hurts again, come directly to me.” Harry nodded,

“Thanks, Doctor.” He said, and The Doctor laughed,

“Professor.” The Doctor corrected,

“Goodnight, Doctor.” Harry grinned.

 

When the letter from Sirius returned, Harry had rushed it to the Doctor’s office. It read:

_Hello Doctor,_

_It is good to hear from you, but I’d like to remind you that you are only a child yourself. You have a lot to learn and are in no position to be a protector. I have arrived back in the country and am well hidden. I want you both to keep me posted on everything that’s going on at Hogwarts. Don’t use Hedwig, keep changing owls, and don’t worry about me, just watch out for yourself. Don’t forget what I said about your scar._

_Sirius_

The Doctor huffed in annoyance, and started scribbling another note:

_Dear Sirius,_

_I’ll have you know that I am over one thousand years old, so do not confuse me for a child. Also, it was careless and reckless to return to the country, but as you are here, I would like to request you stay where you are. I am also concerned over Harry, but we must remember that he has a good head on his shoulders, he knows what to look out for. I will make sure he is safe. We will send different owls, but we shouldn’t talk too often, as it will be suspicious._

_Give Buckbeak my best,_

_The Doctor_

 

The Doctor sent his letter to Sirius using one of the owls from the owlery.

As October Thirtieth, the day the Beauxbatons and Durmstrang schools would arrive, approached, the Doctor noticed portraits were being scrubbed, suits of armor were polished, and the other teachers began trying to straighten up the students.

Before they knew it, the day had arrived, the students weren’t very attentive in classes, so the Doctor let the students play games all class, knowing that them casting spells would be doing them some good, much better than sitting in a lecture would do.

The bell rang early, and the students were brought downstairs into the entrance hall. They students were lined up, and the Doctor lead the students out of the castle and down the steps. Most students were shivering, as dusk was falling, and a pale, transparent-looking moon was shining over the Forbidden Forest. The Doctor saw it before anyone else did, with his superior vision. He pointed the Beauxbaton carriage to one of the first years, whose eyes got wide, and pointed it out to the other students, who seemed impressed that he had seen it first. The carriage was gigantic and powder blue. It was the size of a large house and was pulled through the air by a dozen winged horses, all palominos, and each the size of an elephant.

The front three rows of students drew backward as the carriage hurtled even lower, coming in to land at a tremendous speed, and then, with a large crash that made many of the students jump, the horses’ hooves, larger than dinner plates hit the ground. A second later, the carriage landed too, bouncing upon its vast wheels, while the golden horses tossed their enormous heads and rolled large, fiery red eyes. The door then opened, and a boy in pale blue robes jumped down from the carriage, bent forward, fumbled for a moment with something on the carriage floor, and unfolded a set of golden steps. He sprang back respectfully, then a shining, high-heeled black shoe emerged from the inside of the carriage. The shoe was followed by a large woman. She looked about the size of Professor Hagrid. _Half Giant._ The Doctor easily concluded. Professor Dumbledore started to clap; the students, following his lead, broke into applause too, many of them standing on tiptoe. The woman’s face relaxed into a gracious smile and she walked forward toward Professor Dumbledore, extending a glittering hand. Professor Dumbledore, though tall himself, had barely to bend to kiss it. “My dear Madame Maxime,” he said, “Welcome to Hogwarts.”

“Dumbly-dorr,” Madame Maxime said in a deep voice, “I ‘ope I find you well?”

“In excellent form, I thank you.” Professor Dumbledore said,

“My pupils,” Madame Maxime announced, waving one of her hands carelessly behind her. A dozen boys and girls in their late teens were waiting patiently behind Madame Maxime, and were all shivering, as their robes were all made of fine silk, and none of them were wearing cloaks. Some had wrapped scarves and shawls around their heads, and were all looking up at Hogwarts with apprehensive looks on their face.

“‘As Karkaroff arrived yet?” Madame Maxime asked, referring to the headmaster of Durmstrang,

“He should be here any moment,” Professor Dumbledore said, “Would you like to wait here and greet him or would you prefer to step inside and warm up a trifle?”

“Warm up, I think,” Madame Maxime said, “But ze ‘orses–”

“Our Care of Magical Creatures teacher and his assistant will be delighted to take care of them.

After a few minutes of whispering from the crowd of Hogwarts students, a student, Lee Jordan, pointed at the lake and called, “The lake! Look at the lake!”

From their position at the top of the lawns overlooking the grounds, they had a clear view of the smooth black surface of the water– except that the surface was suddenly not smooth at all. Some disturbance was taking place deep in the center; greater bubbles were forming on the surface, waves were now washing over the muddy banks– and then, out in the very middle of the lake, a whirlpool appeared. A large ship began to rise out of the deep waters, it had a skeletal look about it, as though it were a resurrected wreck, and the dum, misty lights shimmering at its portholes looked like ghostly eyes. Finally, with a great sloshing noise, the ship emerged entirely, bobbing on the turbulent water, and began to glide toward the bank. A few moments later, they heard a splash of an anchor being thrown down in the shallows, and the thud of a plank being lowered onto the bank.


	5. The Feast

The schools were ushered inside. The Beauxbatons students sat themselves down at the Ravenclaw table, and the Durmstrang students sat themselves at the Slytherin table. Professor Dumbledore stood up and silence fell upon the hall. “Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, ghosts and –most particularly– guests,” he began, beaming around at the foreign students, “I have great pleasure in welcoming you all to Hogwarts. I hope and trust that your stay here will be both comfortable and enjoyable. This tournament will be officially opened at the end of the feast. I now invite you all to eat, drink, and make yourselves at home!” Professor Dumbledore sat down, and the feast began. The students seemed confused at the “exotic” dishes, but the Doctor and Jack, who were sitting next to each other, had had much more exciting food before,

“Remember the Flantiorinan from the planet Yeskol?” Jack grinned, the Doctor laughed,

“If you want a good dinner, you should go to Isontolous. They have the best Menstole Franlos in the universe. We should go sometime, a restaurant owner there owes me a favor.” Jack laughed, “I don’t know, have you been to Laspoon?”

“Oh, Isontolous is loads better than Laspoon.”

Once the golden plates had been wiped clean, Professor Dumbledore stood up again. “The moment has come, the Triwizard Tournament is about to start. I would like to say a few words of explanation before we bring in the casket. We will go over the method we will go through, just to clarify the procedure that we will be following this year. But first, let me introduce, for those who do not know them, Mr. Bartemius Crouch, Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation” There was a polite applause, “and Mr. Ludo Bagman, Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports.” There was a much louder applause for Mr. Bagman. “Mr. Bagman and Mr. Crouch have worked tirelessly over the last few months on the arrangements for the Triwizard Tournament, and they will be joining myself, Professor Karkaroff, and Madame Maxime on the panel that will judge the champions’ efforts.” At the mention champions, the attentiveness of the students perked. “The casket, then, if you please, Mr. Filch.” Mr. Filch, the caretaker, who had been lurking in the far corner of the Hall, now approached Professor Dumbledore, carrying a great wooden chest encrusted with jewels. It looked roughly seven hundred years old, give or take a few years. “The instructions for the tasks the champions will face this year have already been examined by Mr. Crouch and Mr. Bagman, and they have made the necessary arrangements for each challenge. There will be three tasks, spaced throughout the school year, and they will test the champions in many different ways… their magical prowess - their daring - their powers of deduction - and, of course, their ability to cope with danger.” At the mention of danger, the Hall went silent. The headmaster continued, “As you know, three champions compete in the tournament, one from each of the participating schools. They will be marked on how well they perform each of the Tournament tasks and the champion with the highest total after task three will win the Triwizard Cup. The champions will be chosen by an impartial selector: the Goblet of Fire.”

Professor Dumbledore took out his wand and tapped three times upon the top of the casket. The lid creaked slowly open. Professor Dumbledore reached inside it and pulled out a large, roughly hewn wooden cup. It was full to the brim with dancing blue-white flames. He placed the goblet on the casket so it was visible to the whole Hall. “Anybody wishing to submit themselves as champion must write their name and school clearly upon a slip of parchment and drop it into the goblet. Aspiring champions have twenty-four hours in which to put their names forward. Tomorrow night, Halloween, the goblet will return the names of the three it has judged most worthy to represent their schools. The goblet will be placed in the entrance hall tonight, where it will be freely accessible to all those wishing to compete.

“To ensure that no underage student yields to temptation, I will be drawing an Age Line around the Goblet of Fire once it has been placed in the entrance hall. Nobody under the age of seventeen will be able to cross this line.

“Finally, I wish to impress upon any of you wishing to compete that this tournament is not to be entered into lightly. Once the champion has been selected by the Goblet of Fire, he or she is obligated to see the tournament through the end. The placing of your name in the goblet constitutes a binding, magical contract. There can be no change of heart once you have become a champion. Please be very sure, therefore, that you are wholeheartedly prepared to play before you drop your name in the goblet. Now, I think it is time for bed. Good night to you all.”


	6. The Fourth Champion

The twins did end up trying to make an aging potion, but it failed to the Age Line. That night, the Halloween feast was long awaited, as it would real the champions. At long last, the golden plates returned to their original spotless state; there was a sharp upswing in the level of noise within the Hall, which died away almost instantly as Professor Dumbledore got to his feet. All the judges seemed tense with anticipation. “Well, the goblet is almost ready to make its decision,” Professor Dumbledore was saying, “I estimate that it requires one more minute. Now, when the champions’ names are called, I would ask them please to come up to the top of the Hall, walk along the staff table, and go through into the next chamber” He indicated to the door behind the staff table, “where they will be receiving their first instructions.” Everyone was watching, waiting… as the cup began to turn suddenly red, and a tongue of flame shot into the air, sending a charred slip of parchment into Professor Dumbledore’s hand. The champion for Durmstrang,” He announced, “will be Viktor Krum.” There was a storm of applause as Viktor rose from the Slytherin table and disappeared through the door into the next chamber. When the clapping and chatting died down, the goblet turned red again, and a second slip of paper came flying out. “The Champion for Beauxbatons,” Professor Dumbledore said, “is Fleur Delacour!”

When Fleur too had disappeared into the chamber, the flames changed colour again, and the third slip of parchment came sailing out. “The Hogwarts Champion,” Professor Dumbledore called, “is Cedric Diggory!” There was a cheer that was dominated by the Hufflepuff table, and Cedric stood up and entered the chamber. “Excellent!” Professor Dumbledore called happily as the last of the noise died down, “Well, we now have our three champions. I am sure I can count upon all of you, including the remaining students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, to give your champion s every ounce of support you can muster. By cheering your champions on, you will contribute in a very real–” But the headmaster stopped as the goblet turned red again. A long flame shot out and another piece of parchment flew into his hand. He seized the parchment and held it out, staring at the name that rested upon it. There was a long hesitation, then Professor Dumbledore cleared his throat and said, “ _Harry Potter?_ ”

Harry was motionless for a moment, then stood, and walked up to the table, “I didn’t put my name in.” Harry said blankly, “You know I didn’t.” He was ushered into the chamber, and the Doctor was immediately on his feet, following behind him.

“What is it?” Fleur asked as Harry entered with the Doctor, “Do zey want us back in ze Hall?” Harry just shook his head, and Mr. Bagman entered behind them, and introduced Harry to them as the fourth champion. They were less than happy for the extra competition. Then, Professor Dumbledore, Mr. Crouch, Professor Karkaroff, Madame Maxime, Professor McGonagall, and Professor Snape entered.

“Madame Maxime!” Fleur said at once, “Zey are saying zat zis little boy is to compete also!” The teachers began bickering, and Harry looked up at the Doctor, suddenly seeming quite small,

“Do you believe me?” He asked, the Doctor gave him a nod,

“I do, and I’ll make them believe too.”

“Albus,” The Doctor addressed the headmaster, “As you know, I am a skilled legilimens, perhaps I could go through and prove it.” Madame Maxime was not about to take this easily,

“But you could lie. Zis is your school.” The Doctor nodded,

“Veritaserum.” There was a quiet agreement. Professor Snape exited the chamber to get the Veritaserum, which was a truth telling potion, which the Doctor knew wouldn’t actually affect him because of his biology. The Doctor got on his knee and touched Harry’s temples, sending them into the depths of his mind. The Doctor looked around, trying to be as delicate as possible, and instructing Harry to imagine doors to protect anything he wanted to keep private. After inspecting Harry’s mind, and making sure Harry stayed out of his own, unlike Madame de Pompadour had. He took the Veritaserum, told them honestly that Harry had not done anything, and they began to tell the champions about their first task.

The next morning at breakfast, the Doctor noticed Harry and Ron weren’t on speaking terms, so after breakfast, the Doctor had called Harry to his office. “Hey, Doctor.” Harry walked in,

“What’s up with you and Ron?”

“He’s jealous!” Harry said angrily, “He thinks I entered on purpose!” The Doctor nodde,

“I’ll do my best to convince him otherwise. Have you heard anything from Sirius?” Harry shook his head, “Then I think you should send him a letter about what happened.” Harry nodded,

“Thank you, Doctor.”

When Sirius’ letter returned, Harry returned to the Doctor’s office. It read:

_Harry–_

_I can’t say everything I would like to in a letter, it’s too risky in case the owl is intercepted - we need to talk face-to-face. Can you ensure that you are alone by the fire in Gryffindor Tower at one o’clock in the morning on the 22nd of November?_

_I know better than anyone that you can look after yourself, and while you’re around Dumbledore, I don’t think anyone will be able to hurt you. However, someone seems to be having a good try. Entering you in that tournament would have been very risky, especially right under Dumbledore’s nose._

_Be on the watch, Harry. I still want to hear about anything unusual. Let me know about the 22nd of November as quickly as you can._

_Sirius_

 

The Doctor read over the letter, then instructed Harry, “Tell him that if he’s using the flo network, that he should use the fire in my office, I’ll take you to my office on the twenty-second for one o’clock in the morning, so no one will walk in on us.” Harry nodded, beginning to write the letter.

 

On the twenty-second, the Doctor was waiting for Harry to meet in his office, when Harry came sprinting into his office. “Hagrid– Dragon– I got to fight it– He showed me–”

It took the Doctor a while to calm Harry down before he could speak coherently. Harry explained what happened.

“So, Hagrid invited me down to his hut, then brought me into the Forbidden Forest under the invisibility cloak. He also invited Madame Maxime, but she didn’t know I was there. He told her not to tell anyone what we saw.” The Doctor was nodding along, listening intently, “Then, he took us to a clearing, and there were dragons! There were four of them. One was a Hungarian Horntail, Charlie said,”

“And Charlie is,”

“One of Ron’s older brothers.” The Doctor nodded,  
“Then there was a Common Welsh Green, a Swedish Short-Snout, and a Chinese Fireball. They said it was for us, the champions. Then, I tried to hurry back, to get here on time, and I saw Karkaroff.”

“So, Cedric Diggory will be the only one who doesn’t know about the dragons?” Harry nodded,  
“Then tell him.”

“But then he’ll know I cheated.”

“You didn’t cheat. You had no choice. You didn’t know that’s what Professor Hagrid was going to show you. Also, all you’d be doing is leveling the playing field.”

“Why don’t you tell him?”  
“If I tell him, it’ll look like I have a bias. Plus, a good thing might come back around.” Harry nodded, clearly thinking. The Doctor then spun over to fire that now had the head of one Sirius Black in.

“Sirius!” Harry exclaimed as he saw the man in the fireplace. The Doctor gave a sad smile, as he was reminded of Rainette.

“Hello, Harry, Doctor.” The Doctor joined Harry by the fireplace,

“Sirius.” The Doctor gave a nod. Sirius stared at the Doctor’s adult form, “It’s been a while, hasn’t it?” Sirius was speechless,

“Yeah.” Was what he finally managed to say.

“Now, what was it you had to talk about?” The Doctor asked,

“I want to know what’s going on.” Sirius and the Doctor both looked at Harry, and Harry began to speak. He mentioned about how no one believed he hadn’t entered the tournament of his own free will, how Rita Skeeter had lied about him in the _Daily Prophet_ , how he couldn’t walk down a corridor without being sneered at, and about how Ron didn’t believe him. Ron, his best friend, couldn’t get over his jealousy. The Doctor then quickly summed up the dragons, then there was a pause of silence, and Sirius thought for a moment,

“We can deal with the dragons.” The Doctor said after a moment, Sirius nodded,

“There are things I must warn you about.”

“What?” Harry asked,

“Karkaroff.” Sirius said,

“Professor Igor Karkaroff, headmaster of Durmstrang Institute, fought in the First Wizarding War as a Death Eater. Was temporarily imprisoned in Azkaban following Voldemort’s defeat, later turned in several of his fellow Death Eaters to pardon his crime, then  became headmaster of Durmstrang. What about him?” The Doctor recited,

“Once a Death Eater, always a Death Eater. From what I can tell, he’s been teaching the Dark Arts to every student who passes through the school of his.” The Doctor gave a nod,

“I’ll keep my eye on him.”

“Okay,” Harry said slowly, “But… are you saying Karkaroff put my name in the goblet? Because if he did, he’s a really good actor. He seemed furious about it. He wanted to stop me from competing.”

“We know he’s a good actor,” Sirius said, “because he convinced the Ministry of Magic to set him free, didn’t he?”

“So… what you are saying?” said Harry slowly, “Karkaroff’s trying to kill me? But – why?” Sirius hesitated,

“I’ve been hearing some very strange things. The Death Eaters seem to be a bit more active than usual lately. They showed themselves at the Quidditch World Cup, didn’t they? Someone set off the Dark Mark.. and then – did you hear about the Ministry of Magic witch who’s gone missing?”

“Bertha Jorkins?” Said Harry.

“Exactly… she disappeared in Albania, and that’s definitely where Voldemort was rumored to be last… and she would have known the Triwizard Tournament was coming up, wouldn’t she?”

“Yeah, but it’s not very likely she’d have walked straight into Voldemort, is it?” Harry said,

“Listen, I knew Bertha Jorkins,” Sirius said grimly, “She was at Hogwarts when I was, a few years above your dad and me. And she was an idiot. Very nosy, but no brains, none at all. It’s not a good combination, Harry. I’d say she’d be very easy to lure into a trap.”

“So… so Voldemort could have found out about the tournament?” Harry said, “Is that what you mean? You think Karkaroff might be here on his orders?”

“I don’t know,” said Sirius slowly, “I just don’t know… Karkaroff doesn’t strike me as the type who’d go back to Voldemort unless he knew Voldemort was powerful enough to protect him. But whoever put your name in the goblet did it for a reason, and I can’t help thinking the tournament would be a very good way to attack you and make it look like an accident.

“Looks like a really good plan from where I’m standing,” Harry said bleakly, “They’ll just have to stand back and let the dragons do their stuff.”

“I’m not letting the dragons hurt you.” The Doctor assured Harry,

“Harry, it’s late. Perhaps you should go to bed. I’d like a word with the Doctor.” Harry nodded and reluctantly left,

“Goodnight, Doctor.”

“I’ll see you in the morning, I hope you didn’t forget to do my werewolf essay.”

“No, I didn’t.” Harry grinned and shut the door. The Doctor turned back to Sirius, the werewolf reminding him of Rose.

“You had better keep an eye on him.”

“I will.”

“Don’t forget, I’m his godfather. If he gets harmed in any way, you will wish you were never born.”

“Don’t worry.” The Doctor said with a slight glint in his eye, his mind still on Rose, “I already do.”


	7. The First Task

On Sunday morning, the Doctor had Harry brought to his office to discuss the first task. “But I thought you weren’t supposed to help me.” Harry said,

“Yes, but you weren’t supposed to be in the tournament either. I made a promise to make sure you’re safe.” Harry nodded, “So, have you come up with any ideas?”

“On how to kill the dragon?”

“No. There will be no killing. You just need to get past it.”

“Well, either way, no.” Harry said, clearly frustrated.

“Did you tell Cedric yet?”

“Yeah, this morning.”

“Did he believe you?”

“Yes.”

“Good. Now, we need to play to your strengths. What are you good at?”

“Uh…” in Harry’s moment of hesitation, the Doctor jumped up from the seat he was in,

“Oh! Oh! Flying! You’re a brilliant flyer!” Surprised by the Doctor’s sudden outburst, Harry just gave a nod,

“Y-yeah. I’m fair.”

“Fair? You’re brilliant!”

“Er, thanks. But, I’m not aloud a broom.”

“You’ve got a wand don’t you?”

“Well… yeah?”

“Talk to Hermione. I think she’ll be able to help you with this.” Harry nodded,

“Thank you, Doctor.”

“Anytime.”

 

On the day of the tournament, the Doctor joined Jack in the stands. It was the first time they really got to talk in a while. “So, have you and Professor Hagrid been the ones wrangling the dragons?” Jack laughed,

“Yeah, that Hungarian Horntail is a nasty piece of work.” The Doctor gave a nod,

“Yeah, I heard it is a Hungarian Horntail, Common Welsh Green, Swedish Short-Snout, and a Chinese Fireball.” Jack nodded,

“Yeah, the competition ought to be interesting.” The Doctor gave a scowl,

“Yes, why endanger just the students? Why not throw four dragons and all their eggs in there as well?”

“Doctor, come on. Just relax. It’s just supposed to be a show.”  
“You know how I feel about these types of things Jack, they are putting innocent lives in danger for entertainment. And I’m not just talking about the students.”

“I know, Doctor. But there’s no stopping it, so we might as well enjoy ourselves.” The Doctor was about to argue, but then a whistle was blown, and Mr. Bagman announced the challenge, then the whistle for Cedric was blown, and the boy stepped out, looking nauseous and very scared. The dragon rose, her scales a silvery blue. She eyed down Cedric, standing very close to her eggs. Pulling out his wand, he shot a spell at a rock, turning it into a rather large Labrador dog. The dog, who was making a lot of noise, attracted the dragon’s attention. Cedric ran to the eggs, but she had seen him, switching from the dog over to him, shooting a jet of hot blue fire, burning the side of his face, but he kept running barely escaping another jet of fire, and grabbing the egg. The crowd erupted in cheers as the dragon was restrained and Cedric rushed to the first aid tent.

“And the marks!” Mr. Bagman announced, Cedric got 38/50 points, which he seemed content with.

The whistle blew again, and the shaking figure of Fleur appeared. The dragon rose as well, green in colour, and gave a large, musical roar. Fleur shot her with a spell, and she went all sleepy, she gave a great snore, and a jet of fire caught Fleur’s skirt on fire. “ _Aguamenti!_ ” She shouted, and a stream of water erupted from her wand, extinguishing the fire. She grabbed the egg, and the marks were shown. She got a 38/50, tying with Cedric.

The whistle for Viktor blew, and the confident boy strode out. His dragon too rose her large head, she was red in colour with a fringe of fine gold spikes around her face. She shot a mushroom-shaped fire cloud into the air, but before she could do anything else, Viktor shot a spell right into her eye. She began trampling around in agony, and to the Doctor’s horror, her foot landed down on three of her eggs. The real ones. Innocent life, wasted for entertainment. Viktor grabbed the egg, and the marks were shown. He got 40/50. The best score so far, but Harry still had to go.

Harry’s whistle blew, and he stared across the stadium at his dragon. She had black scales and was almost lizard-like in appearance. Her wings were half-furled, her yellow eyes gazed upon this boy. Her spiked tail was swishing back and forth in anticipation, knowing this boy was a threat to her young. Harry raised his wand, “ _Accio Firebolt!_ ” He shouted, there was a moment of silence, then the broom shot out of the sky and stopped dead in midair beside him, waiting for him to mount. Harry jumped on the broom and sped up into the air. He then dove, letting the dragon follow him, then pulled out just in time, as a jet of fire had been released right where he would have been.

He continued to swerve and whirl until he got her to take off the ground, then shot down to the now unprotected eggs, and grabbed the golden egg. The crowd erupted in cheers. Harry was sent to the first aid tent, then the marks were shown. 40/50. He had tied with Viktor.


	8. The Yule Ball

The Doctor invited Neville Longbottom to his office that weekend, “Yes sir?” The boy trembled, the Doctor gave a soft smile,

“How do you take your tea?”

“What?”

“Your tea, how to you take it?”

“Two sugars.” Neville said quietly. The Doctor poured him a cup of tea, then sat down with him with his own cup.

“Professor Sprout tells me you’re excellent in Herbology.” Neville turned pink,

“Yeah, I’m alright.”

“From what I hear, you’re a little more than alright!” Neville’s face spread to a grin, “I was wondering if you’d be interested in this?” The Doctor handed a book to Neville. It was _Magical Water Plants of the Mediterranean_ by Hadrian Whittle.

“Thank you, Professor!” Neville seemed overjoyed and fascinated by the book.

 

That winter, the Doctor found a bewildered Harry rushing into his office as he was grading papers. “Doctor!”

“Yes?”

“Yule Ball, you heard of it?”  
“Well, yes. All the staff were informed, why?”

“I need, I need a partner. I need a dance partner. What am I going to do?”

“Do you have a girl in mind?”

“Er…” Harry went pink, as he clearly did have someone.

“Who might that be?”

“There’s a girl, Cho. Cho Chang.”

“Are you going to ask her?”

“Well, I want to, but she’s a year older, pretty, a good Quidditch player, and very popular. How am I supposed to get her alone?”

“Send her an owl. Set a location, and ask.” Harry nodded, it seemed a pretty solid plan.

“Do you have someone to dance with?” Harry asked after a pause,

“Jack and I might have a dance.” The Doctor laughed,

“Are you two? Sorry, I just always assumed you were just friends…” The Doctor laughed,

“No, not at all. Jack might be interested, but not me.” Harry nodded,

“Do you have anyone? A wife? Husband? Girlfriend? Boyfriend?” The Doctor shook his head, mind swimming in memories. Harry quickly realized he’d oversteeped, and quickly backpedaled,

“So, where should I go to meet Cho?”

 

Because of the upcoming Yule Ball, the Doctor decided not to do any lessons in his class. He knew it wouldn’t do any good, as they all had their minds elsewhere. For the ball, the Doctor decided to wear his nice suit, the one he wore for the Lazarus reception as well as on the Titanic. As he put it on, it reminded him of Astrid. He was going to take her away, show her the stars. She would have done so much more. She had so much life ahead of her. He helped usher the students into the hall. The students, aside from the champions, gathered in the halls. There was a whispering of students, then the doors burst open, and the champions and their partners came walking in. Fleur was in silver-grey and made of satin, and was delicately holding hands with a Ravenclaw boy, Roger Davies. He was staring at Fleur, seemingly so stunned by his good fortune in having the half-veela for a partner. Cedric and a quite pretty Hufflepuff girl, Phoebe Baddock, who was wearing an elegant violet strapless dress that had more see-through whisps, entered behind them, firmly holding hands. The next to enter was Viktor and Hermione. Hermione was grinning broadly, catching the Doctor’s eye, she seemed to grin even bigger. She looked beautiful, her hair was no longer bushy, but sleek and shiny, and twisted up in an elegant knot at the back of her head. Her robes were made of a flowey, periwinkle-blue material, and she was holding herself much straighter. Lastly, Harry and Cho came following Viktor and Hermione. Harry was grinning broadly, and Cho was smiling sweetly. She wore silver, Chinese-style robes.

Soon, everyone was dancing, Jack and the Doctor had a dance, but were watching over the students. The Doctor noticed Ron sitting by himself, normally he would be with Harry, but Harry was off dancing with Cho. The Doctor sat down next to Ron,

“What’s wrong?” Ron looked up,

“Nothing. Everything’s just peachy.” His scowl was all the Doctor needed to tell that was a lie. The Doctor followed his gaze to where Hermione was dancing with Viktor, the Doctor gave a knowing nod,

“Did you ask her?” Ron dropped his gaze,

“Yes.”

“What did she say?”

“No.”

“What exactly did she say?”  
“She said, ‘I can’t come with you because I’m already going with someone.’” Ron imitated her voice, but made it all high pitched and snobby. The Doctor nodded,

“You need to realize that Hermione just wants to be treated like a person. She wants someone to tell her she’s beautiful, and that she’s enough. And she is, so tell her that.” The Doctor stood up, and walked back towards the perimeter of the room, leaving Ron deep in thought.


	9. Rita Skeeter's Secret

The Doctor noticed a strange energy coming from a small beetle in the room during one of his classes. One he recognized from last year. Shooting a quick spell, he entrapped it in a jar before spontaneously shouting,

“Practical lesson!” The class jumped, looking surprised, trying to understand what was so special about this beetle.

“Does anyone know what an animagus is?” The Doctor asked, Hermione’s hand went flying into the air,

“Yes, Ms. Granger.”

“An animagus is a witch or wizard who can morph themselves into an animal at will.”

“Brillant! Five points to Gryffindor! It is quite difficult to become an animagi, and each one must be registered with the Ministry of Magic.” The Doctor picked up the jar, “For someone like me who is gifted at Divination, I can sense the different, er, ora of an animagus.” The moment the students had realized that the small beetle in the jar was actually a person, they gathered around the Doctor. “As you can see,” The Doctor continued, “The animagus you become reflects yourself, which is why your animagus is sometimes the same as your patronus. Now, these markings,” He gestured towards the beetle, who had markings around her antennae. “Can be a reflection of the person’s physical appearance. So I believe I can make a safe assumption of whom this may be.” With a flick of his wand, a blue and white flash hit the small beetle, and it began to transform. A woman emerged from the transformation, hair set in elaborate and curiously rigid curles that contrasted oddly with her heavy-jawed face. She was wearing jeweled spectacles that matched the markings around the beetle anteni. Her thick fingers were clutching her crocodile-skin handbag. She looked oddly disheveled and astounded, gazing at the classroom of onlookers. Then, she ran. Making as quick of an escape as she could.

 

A few days later, the Doctor in his office when Harry came running in

“What is it, Harry?”

“It’s, it’s Hagrid!”

“What about him?”  
“Jack was teaching class by himself today, so I asked why, and Malfoy showed me this!” Harry handed the Doctor an article from the _Daily Prophet_ , titled: **Dumbledore’s Giant Mistake**. The Doctor began to read the article;

 

_Albus Dumbledore, eccentric Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, has never been afraid to make controversial staff appointments, writes Rita Skeeter, Special Correspondent. In September of this year, he hired Dr. John Smith, mysterious man, known to many students as mad. “He’s completely mental.” Says Trynity Harris, a sixth year student. However, this mad man looks responsible and kindly when set beside the part-human Dumbledore employs to teach Care of Magical Creatures._

_Rubeus Hagrid, who admits to being expelled from Hogwarts in his third year, has enjoyed the position of gamekeeper at the school ever since, a job secured for him by Dumbledore. Last year, however, Hagrid used his mysterious influence over the headmaster to secure the additional post of Care of Magical Creatures teacher, over the heads of many better-qualified candidates._

_An alarmingly large and ferocious-looking man, Hagrid has been using his newfound authority to terrify the students in his care with a succession of horrific creatures. While Dumbledore turns a blind eye, Hagrid has maimed several pupils during a series of lessons that many admit to being “very frightening.”_

_“I was attacked by a hippogriff, and my friend Vincent Crabbe got a bad bite off a flobberworm,” says Draco Malfoy, a fourth-year student. “We all hate Hagrid, but we’re just too scared to say anything.”_

 

The Doctor continued to read the article, that went deeper into Professor Hagrid’s half-giant genealogy. “I’ll visit him this afternoon.” The Doctor decided out loud, “You should visit him as well sometime. You’ll be the one he really will want to hear from. He’ll want to know you don’t care about him being a half-giant.” Harry nodded,

“I’ll see if I can come down for tea this weekend.” The Doctor nodded in approval.

“Gotten anywhere on that egg?” Harry sat down,

“No. Every time I open it, it makes a screeching sound. I don’t know what to do.”

“See if Cedric’s got anywhere. Maybe he’d like to give you a hand.” Harry nodded,

“Maybe.”

 

That afternoon, the Doctor made his way down to Professor Hagrid’s cabin and knocked on the door. “Rubeus?” There was no answer, “Rubeus, I know you’re in there!” Once again there was no answer, so the Doctor pulled out his sonic screwdriver and unlocked the door. Professor Hagrid was curled up on his bed, tears running down his face and into his unkept beard. He sat up,

“How’d yeh get in?” The Doctor closed the door behind him,

“You can’t stay in here forever, you know.”

“I can.”

“You shouldn’t.”

“Why not?”

“You have no reason to.” The Doctor began to make some tea,

“I’m a half-giant.”

“I’m not even human. That doesn’t matter. All that matters it that you’re a good man. And you are, so you have nothing to worry about.” Professor Hagrid just stared at the Doctor,

“Not human?”

“Nope.” The Doctor said, popping the ‘p’,

“What are yeh then?”

“Time Lord. Alien from another planet.”

“Wha’?”

“Yep.”

“Why er yeh here then?”

“Well, I’ve been looking for a place to settle down in. I’ve been traveling for a long time, saving planets and exploring, but I’m an old man now. I’m coming to the end of my life, and I don’t have anywhere to call home.” The man nodded, then said,

“How old are yeh then? Yeh look youn’.” The Doctor laughed,

“I’m so old, Rubeus. I don’t quite remember, but I’d like to think I’m probably somewhere around nine-hundred and something, though I could be older.” The Doctor laughed, “I’m so old I don’t remember my own age.” Professor Hagrid stared at the Time Lord,

“Woah.”

“Yep.” The Doctor laughed, “So if I’m totally alien, and people don’t care, why should anyone care if you’re half-giant?” Professor Hagrid gave a smile,

“Yeh.” Then thought, for a moment before saying, “Does anyone else know yer an alien?”

“Yes, Harry, Ron, and Hermione know. Why don’t you invite them for tea this weekend?” Professor Hagrid smiled, knowing Harry, Ron, and Hermione wouldn’t care,

“Yeh.”


	10. The Second Task

Harry had been late to the second task, but had managed to get there before the task started. The Doctor watched from the stands with the other teachers, gazing over the water. Mr. Bagman’s voice boomed across the lake, “Well, all our champions are ready for the second task, which will start on my whistle. They have precisely an hour to recover what has been taken from them. On the count of three, then. One… two… _three!_ ” The whistle sounded shrilly in the cold, still air; the stands erupted with cheers and applause; without looking to see what the champions were doing. The Doctor watched Harry stuff gillyweed in his mouth, relieved that Neville must have given it to him.

The Doctor had to stand in the silence for nearly an hour. Watching the waters, as the champions had all disappeared from sight. But once the hour was up, the Doctor watched one by one, the champions emerge. Fleur had been the first out, she had been caught by the grindylows and forced to retire early, earning her fourth place with twenty-five points. First place went to Cedric, who had pulled Phoebe out of the water, awarding him forty-seven points. Then came Viktor, retrieving Hermione, awarding him forty points, then Harry, well outside his time limit, but with both Gabrielle and Cho, was awarded forty-five.

That afternoon, the Doctor invited Harry, Ron, and Hermione into his office for tea that afternoon. “That was really well-done, Harry.” The Doctor smiled, “Did Neville give you the gillyweed?”  Harry shook his head,

“Actually, it was Dobby.”  
“Dobby?”

“He’s a house elf from the kitchens.” Harry went on to explain how he had freed Dobby from his masters, the Malfoys, and was now employed at the castle, getting payed. The Doctor had smiled, impressed with the elf’s individuality.


	11. The Dream

The Doctor joined Harry, Ron, and Hermione in Hogsmeade when the weekend arrived, as they were going to meet Sirius, against the Doctor’s protests. The Doctor had brought the food Sirius had asked them to bring, a dozen chicken legs, a loaf of bread, and a flask of pumpkin juice. Once they had followed Sirius in his dog form to a cave in the hills, they sat down to talk.

“They’re making it sound like he’s dying,” Harry said slowly, clearly having noticed the _Daily Prophet_ titles from the papers that were scattered on the ground. _Mystery Illness of Bartemius Crouch,_ with phrases like, _hasn’t been seen in public since November… house appears deserted… St. Mungo’s Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries decline comment… Ministry refuses to confirm rumors of critical illness…_ Harry Continued, “But he can’t be that ill if he managed to get up here…”

“My brother’s Crouch’s personal assistant,” Ron said, “He says Crouch is suffering from overwork.”

“Mind you, he _did_ look ill, last time I saw him up close,” Harry said slowly, “That night my name came out of the goblet…”

“Getting his comeuppance for sacking Winky, isn’t he?” Hermione said, with an edge to her voice. The Doctor began talking to Buckbeak,

“How have you been?”

_Well, and you? I did not expect to see you again so soon._

“I’m doing well, I didn’t expect to be back so soon either, but thought it nice to stay.”  
_But what is your reason? You always have a reason._

“I’m thinking of settling down. I’m getting old, I’ve only got a fraction of my life left, perhaps Hogwarts is where I’ll call my home.”

They continued to talk as the day grew into night and the sun set. “You’d better get back to school.” The Doctor eventually said, Sirius nodded,

“Now listen…” Sirius’ stare was angled more towards Harry then anyone else, “I don’t want you lot sneaking out of school to see me, all right? Just send notes to me here. I still want to hear about anything odd. But you’re not to go leaving Hogwarts without permission; it would be an ideal opportunity for someone to attack you.”

“No one’s tried to attack me so far, except a dragon and a couple of grindylows,” Harry said, but Sirius scowled and the Doctor said,

“I’ll be making sure you stay in the school. Under no circumstance do you leave without my permission.” The trio nodded,

“I’ll walk to the end of the village with you,” Sirius began saying, but the Doctor shook his head,

“No need, I will escort them back to their dormitories.”

“Very well, goodnight, Doctor.”

“And you.”

 

Before he knew it, the Doctor once again found himself in his office as Harry came bursting through the door, “Doctor!” He gasped,

“What is it?” The Doctor had jumped over his desk to assist the boy,

“I had a dream!”

“What happened in it?”

“Well, Lord Voldemort, he was torturing Wormtail, er Pettigrew, and Voldemort got a letter from an owl. He said something like, Pettigrew’s blunder had been repaired. He said someone was dead. Then he said, Pettigrew wouldn’t be fed to the snake – there was a snake beside his chair. He said – he said he’d be feeding me to it instead. Then he did the Cruciatus Curse on Pettigrew – and my scar hurt. It woke me up, it hurt so badly.” The Doctor nodded, then pulled out his sonic screwdriver and scanned Harry’s scar.

“Oh, Oh!” The Doctor exclaimed, pulling back his sonic, “It’s a connection. When Voldemort attacked you that night, your mother’s protection rebounded the curse against you, but the psychic energy needed somewhere to go, so it was absorbed in the scar, and therefore into the rest of you.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means you’ve got an open window into Voldemort’s head. But,” The Doctor’s tone darkened, “A window can be looked through both ways.”


	12. The Third Task

Before anyone knew it, the third task was upon them. The Doctor joined Professor Hagrid, Jack, Professor Mcgonagall and Professor Flitwick, as they informed Mr. Bagman they would be patrolling the outside of the maze. The Doctor got a hat, it had large, red, luminous stars. Once the champions were told that if they got into trouble, to send up red sparks, and one of the patrolling professors would come rescue them, Mr. Bagman’s magically magnified voice echoed in the night, “Ladies and gentlemen, the third and final task of the Triwizard Tournament is about to begin! Let me remind you how the points currently stand! Tied in first place, with eighty-five points each – Mr. Cedric Diggory and Mr. Harry Potter, both of Hogwarts School! In second place, with eighty points – Mr. Viktor Krum, of Durmstrang Institute! And in third place – Miss Fleur Delacour, of Beauxbatons Academy! So.. on my whistle, Harry and Cedric! Three – two – one –” There was a short whistle blast, and the Doctor watched Harry and Cedric sprint into the maze. The Doctor and Jack began to patrol the outside of the maze together, listening for Harry’s progress through the maze.

Suddenly, the Doctor heard Fleur scream from within the maze. Jack hadn’t been able to hear it, but with the Doctor’s superior hearing. Holding his breath, waiting for red sparks, he watched the sky, but they never came. He realized two things could have happened, either she had gotten herself out of whatever danger she was in, or she was taken out to quickly to reach her wand. The Doctor informed Jack of the situation,

“I’ll go take a look, you keep following Harry, Cedric, and Krum.” The Doctor nodded, following the sounds of people.

Suddenly, the Doctor heard a scream. One he recognized. A scream of pain, not fear. He looked at the sky for sparks, and after a few minutes, they were shot into the sky. “Fillius!” The Doctor called to the figure nearest to him, who had seen the sparks too, “You take it, I’ll keep following!” Professor Flitwick nodded, taking off to where the sparks had been shot up, and the Doctor followed the two champions left.

Soon there was shouting, a shouting of spells from Cedric and Harry, “ _Stupefy! Impedimenta! Stupefy! Stupefy! Expelliarmus!_ ” Suddenly, silence. The Doctor pulled his sonic screwdriver out, there was nothing he could find scanning, then, there was a blip, he looked at the sonic. The cup was a portkey, nothing out of the ordinary there, it was what was supposed to take them back to the stands, but it was a stronger signal, it was taking them far away. Pulling out his wand, he summoned the cup, but not before the two champions had grabbed it too, leaving the Doctor in the cold night.


	13. Without a Goodbye

The Doctor ran back to the stadium to report to Professor Dumbledore, “What is it John?” the headmaster asked as the Doctor sprinted up to him,

“It’s the cup, I scanned it with a, with a charm, and discovered it did not return to the stands as was intended, but instead far away. I am unsure how far, but it is nowhere near the school. Mr. Potter and Mr. Diggory have both touched it simultaneously.” Professor Dumbledore gave a solemn nod,   
“And now we must wait, as there is nothing more we can do.”

 

The Doctor waited with Jack, unsure what to do. Professor Karkaroff had already been incarcerated, as they could trace who had casted the spell, and now they were just waiting for Harry and Cedric to return. If they returned. Suddenly, Harry, Cedric, and the triwizard cup slammed into the ground. The Doctor ran to the two of them, checking pulses. Harry was fine, seemed a bit groggy, but fine. Then there was Cedric. The Doctor felt for a pulse, there was none. There was silence. The Doctor stood up, as Madame Pomfrey ran through. The Doctor stared at Cedric, “He’s dead.” Was all that escaped the Doctor’s lips. Madame Pomfrey stood up, hands over her mouth.

“Doctor.” Harry looked up at the Doctor, eyes wide, suddenly looking like a small child, so afraid.

“Come with me.” The Doctor took Harry’s hand as the comotion and shouts began. “What happened?” The Doctor asked as they entered his office.

“Cedric and I both touched the cup at the same time, and it was a portkey. We got brought to, to this graveyard. And it was Voldemort.” Harry continued to tell of the graveyard, and of Voldemort, until Professor Mcgonagall came in and ushered him away to the hospital wing, leaving the Doctor deep in thought.

 

The Doctor joined the rest of the teachers who were taking the train. “Are you still thinking of settling down for another year?” Jack asked as they rode back, the Doctor smiled and shook his head,

“No, I don’t think so.” Jack nodded as the Doctor closed his ancient eyes.

“Why not?” The Doctor gave a smile,

“I need a new adventure! New planets, plus the TARDIS will have missed me!” Jack laughed,

“Yeah, we could head to Raxacoricofallapatorius and see how Blon’s new life is going.” The Doctor laughed,

“Yes, we could go there. Or, we could try to find the lost moon of Poosh!”

The Doctor smiled, once again, he had lied. The true reason for running away; Harry Potter had enough bloodshed in his life, without the Doctor, maybe the body count would lessen. So he and Jack left, left without a goodbye.


End file.
